Ornamental buckle or clasp.



N0. 671,616. Patented A r. 9, I901. r. u. THOMPSON;

ORNAMENTAL BUCKLE 0R CLASP.

(Application filed Feb. 14, 1901.)

(No Model.)

6 INVENTEIR'.

BY J/W ATTY.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED D. THOMPSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO B. K.

SMITH AND CO.,

OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 671,616, dated April 9, 1901.

Application filed February 14,1901. Serial No. 47,363. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED D. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Ornamental Buckles or Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a buckle or clasp -adapted to secure the'ends of a belt or girdle, and it consists in the improved construction of the parts of the clasp, whereby the ends of the belt will be held in tapering form at the front of the clasp and be deflected downwardly, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front View of a buckle or clasp embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a back view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a top edge view. Fig. 4 represents a back view of the separated parts. Fig. 5 represents a front View of the clasp when connected with the belt.

In the drawings, A represents one of the parts of the clasp, and A the other part, the 1 part A being provided with the slot 1) and the part A with the hook 0, adapted to engage with the said slot to hold the parts of the buckle together. The parts A and A are each provided with a slot-opening d, the length of which is of about the width of the belt B, and also with a slot-opening d, of shorter length, whereby the belt B will be either crimped or folded laterally from its outspread width, and the book 0 and the slot 1) are so arranged that when in engagement the parts of the clasp will be held in an angular position relatively to each other, as shown in Fig. 1, thus serving to turn the ends of the belt downwardly at the clasp, and the ends of the belt may be extended in opposite directions beyond the clasp with desirable ornamental efiect. Any

desired ornamentation may be placed upon the parts of the clasp, and the belt instead of being crimped or folded between the slots d and d,'of unequal length, may when made of a material like leather be cut in proper tapering form to fit the shorter slot d without crimping or folding.

By my improvement, in which the ends of the belt are brought from the back of the clasp through the outer slot to the front and then carried back through an inner shorter slot, a desirable ornamental clasp can be made of light weight, the space f being preferably left open and covered by the tapering portion of the belt between the two slots, and by my improvement the desired pointed effect may be given to the belt without requiring the exposure of a large extent of metal.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a clasp, the combination of the parts each provided with an outer slot and a shorter inner slot adapted to receive a belt,with clasping means adapted for holding the parts in an angular position, relatively to each other, substantially as described.

2. A clasp member, provided with means for engaging the opposite clasp member, and with an outer slot, and a separate shorter inner slot, whereby the belt when passed from the back of the clasp member through the outer slot, thence inwardly and back through the shorter slot, will be laterally contracted and cover a portion of the face of the clasp member, substantially as described.

3. A clasp member provided with means for engaging another clasp member, and having a curved inner slot and a wider curved outer slot adapted to receive a belt and laterally contracting the same between said slots when passed therethrough, substantially as described.

FRED D. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

SOCRATES SCHOLFIELD, FREDERIC A. FAIRBROTHER, Jr. 

